The phrase "foggy Albion" has long been considered the second name of England. The country is known for its fogs, so this name can hardly surprise anyone. However, historians argue that the origin of the phrase "foggy Albion" has little to do with fogs.
White cliffs of Dover
There is a version according to which the word "Albion" comes from the Celtic root, which had the meaning "white". A little later, the Romans began to call England "albus" (also meaning "white"), because, swimming up to its shores, they saw the huge white cliffs of Dover, whose height reaches 107 meters. The rocks are characterized by a high content of chalk, which is why they resemble large snow-white icebergs.
At the top of one of the rocks is the ancient Dover Castle, which has a history of more than 2000 years. Its construction was dictated by the need to repel numerous invasions from continental Europe. As a result, Dover became the most powerful and fortified among all European fortresses. Located on the shores of the strait separating the UK and France, the castle has long been considered the "key to England".
English fogs
The second, much more common version of how England got the name "Foggy Albion" looks more commonplace. It is directly related to the famous English fogs. Its adherents believe that there is no need to look for complex explanations for this name - it literally reflects the climate characteristic of the country. Travelers who go to England need to be prepared for the fact that she will meet them with drizzling rain, fog and winds. The largest amount of precipitation falls here in September. True, forecasters argue that, in fact, there are no more fogs in England than in Russia or continental Europe.
Smog over London
There is also a third version, according to which the name "Foggy Albion" does not mean natural fog, but industrial smog. There was a time when he enveloped London and other large industrial cities in Great Britain in a dense veil. The British nicknamed him "pea soup". Initially, smog arose because the factory furnaces were fired with coal. In the middle of the twentieth century, car exhaust was added to the smoke of the chimneys. As a result, in 1956, the British Parliament passed a law banning coal burning at enterprises in large cities. Thus, it was finally possible to get rid of the thick industrial smog. Today London air is considered one of the cleanest among the many cities in the world.
Whichever version is the most reliable, it must be admitted that the name "Foggy Albion" sounds beautiful and poetic, creating a visible image of this mysterious country.
